The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-06-11
Editorial 8riets.
BY REV. I. M. ATWOOD, D. D.
Canton, N. Y.

cnurcn ana educatlonal properties, In the
standing and power of our clergy, there
has been a slight decrease in the last de-
cade in the number of our active parishes
and in our ministry. The decrease of
active ministers stands as cause to effect
to the decrease of parishes. With score
or more of churches dormant" in each
of the great States of New York, Penn
sylvania, Ohio and Illinois, and remain
ing SO year after year because we cannot
furnish them with pastors, the inevitable
result is loss Of ability to maintain pas
tor after few years. The harvest indeed
is plenteous, hut the laborers are yet few.
| 1t is true that some of our present
churches are worth any ten of those that
have gone into decay; that we have not
lost ground in any part of the country,
but have made great gains in certain Sec
tions; and that the Average strength and
resources of our churches have been in
creased in every part of our territory.
But it remains that large number of
our smaller parishes, in country districts,
are on the wane, and that we need gem
eral and thorough waking-up to the i'm
perative demands OF missionary service.
While there are not wanting evil
dences that some clergymen of our era
are liberal dealers in futures, so to speak,
we occasionally stumble on proofs that
other clergymen invest wholly in long
buried past Here, for instance, is Fr.
Hackner, Of the Holy Roman Catholic
church, who prints his views on Henry
George and Archbishop Corrigan. Father
Hackner's views are not far from thou
sand years old, and there rests on them
no suspicion OF modern times. Pure, un-
mitigated medi@valism, Latin and all, is
what this devout servant of the church
offers as the sufficient reply to the land
heresies of Henry George and Father
McGlynn.
AT the close of a seven column article
the Independent quotes ga wise leader
in the Congregational communion" as
having said to the writer some years be-
fore: "We lost strong churches and emf
nent ministers in the former Unitarian
detection, and have felt the effects ever
since. The next disastrous movement
among us will come in the direction of
j .UniyeEsalism m..4aaW We endorse the iudgs.
ments that this leader was wise. he was
ssgacious, also. He could discern the
signs of the times. That movement
in the direction of Universslism" was in
evitable in the Congregational body was
as apparent long ago to discerning minds
as it now is to the same class of minds
that movement in the direction of Uni
versalism lie inevitable, sooner or later, in
all the denominations.
But there is 11aiUe innocence in the
purpose Of the editor in quoting the
prophecy. He appears to think that If
the magnitude of the loss by the Unita-
rian detection had been distinctly fore
seen it would have been averted How?
The student of that episode in religious
history would say at once that it could
have been prevented only by more lib
eral spirit and policy On the part of the
orthodox majority. But the editor seems
to suppose that it would have been pre-
vented by prompt remuneration of their
"divisive" and "perversive" "specula-
tions" by the Unitarian party. 1t needs
J scarcely be argued that man capable of
such an illusion Is demonstrably incom-
petent to deal with the problem of the
new detection.
The political philosophy of the New
York Sun, and of journals of like pre-
dilection, is, that party should get it's
ideas and policies and manners from 'the
people," The estimate put upon the peo-
pie is shown by assiduous efforts to please
them by sneering at principle, by pan
dering to depraved tastes, and by affect
ing contempt for all high ideals. But
this is as radical misconception of the
people as it is of the proper aim of po-
litical party. The people are capable of
appreciating decency, fairness, disinter-
estedness. 1t is wiser to appeal to their
nobler Instincts than to pander to their
vices. A good deal of the political wis
dom of the time is stone blind and stark
mad.
Many churches are crucifed between
secularism on the one side and indiffer-
entism on the other. The interest of one
portion of the parish is wholly in the
worldly position and pomp to which the
church ministers; the other portion has no
interest in it whatever. A minister of such
church is always delivered unto death.
Unless he is a spiritual battery he will
not be equal to the demands OF a situation
so trying. To save a church from death
or to perform the miracle OF raising one
from death, is often the hard alternative
offered a pastor.
Unfortunately, this service is usual
ly expected of the men least capable of
performing it. Ii the able ministers, the
men of assured position, whose name has
magic and whose word is with power,
could be detailed to the care OF the dy-
ing and the dead churches, the miracle
of resurrection would not seem so impos-
sible. But the strong men are uniformly
commanded by the strong churches. 1t
is the untried and inexperienced young
man, or the partially superannuated, or
the mediocre, or the chronic failure, who
is set to this mighty task of saving the
perishing and quickening the dead. Here
is the very WaakaRf nOint in our adro;n;a